Julia Osęka ’25, chosen by Pope Francis in July as a voting delegate from North America at the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, Italy, was blessed Sept. 24 by attendees at the end of service in the Chapel of St. Joe’s.
Synods are meetings of bishops who represent the church body and advise the pope in church affairs. Synods, resulting from the Second Vatican Council in 1965, were instituted by Pope Paul IV. This will be the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church where there will be 70 non-bishops voting in a synod.
Osęka has been involved in Campus Ministry since she first came to St. Joe’s and attributes this opportunity to its members.
“The synodal process started when I was a first-year student, so Campus Ministry was, since the beginning, the place where it all happened,” Osęka said in a written response to The Hawk. “It was also the campus ministers who facilitated the meetings with students from other Philadelphia-area universities and then with the archdiocese, so I would have never been as involved in the Synod if not for the engagement of our ministers.”
Beth Ford McNamee, associate director of Campus Ministry, said the experience of Osęka being chosen by the pope emphasizes the mission of the Church and the goals they have been striving towards.
“[Osęka] is really representing the whole North American continent. At the level of the Vatican with bishops, it’s really been this confirmation that the church is listening, and that the goal of the Senate is that it is a listening church,” McNamee said.
Fr. Stephen P. DeLacy, Vicar for the Office for Faith Formation of Youth and Young Adults, said Osęka’s opportunity speaks on the church’s progress in creating missionary disciples.
“To have a student from Saint Joseph’s participate in the Synod on Synodality is a distinguished honor,” DeLacy said in a written response to The Hawk. “Saint Joseph’s is one of only two U.S. institutions to have someone gathering with the pope.”
Osęka will participate in voting from Oct. 4-29 in Rome, where she will also engage in the “Together” Ecumenical Prayer Vigil and a retreat for all Synod participants. Delegates will explore the Instrumentum Laboris, a document of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This will take place in language-based groups referred to as Circoli Minori.
Osęka said she is extremely grateful to participate in this assembly and play a historic role in the future of the Church.
“The fact that Pope Francis invited young people and women to be voting delegates at this Synod also shows that the Church is ready to welcome the voices of people who have historically not been given a place at the table,” Osęka said.
